1. Neurodevelopmental and related disabilities familiarity;
2. Family-centered care and access;
3. Culturally competence; and
4. Leadership skills.

1. Audiology
2. Genetics
3. Health Administration
4. Nursing, Nutrition
5. Occupational Therapy
6. Pediatrics
7. Pediatric Dentistry
8. Physical Therapy
9. Psychology
10. Social Work
11. Speech/Language Pathology
12. Special Education
13. Cultural Studies

1. an initial orientation phase,
2. development of a competency-based Individualized Training Objectives (ITO) which will serve as the trainee’s yearly plan of education monitored by their mentor,
3. participation in didactic courses (core and elective) over a 9-month period that present the knowledge base fundamental to the accomplishment of the LEND goals and objectives,
4. involvement in an array of LEND approved interdisciplinary practica and special projects that are selected to ensure that trainees are exposed to leadership roles in 6 areas of interdisciplinary service. These include:
   1. community-based and referenced service (clinical, case or program-centered consultation and technical assistance),
   2. center-based ambulatory care,
   3. center-based inpatient (re)habilitation,
   4. leadership and consultation in health care and systems change,
   5. research
   6. teaching

• Each nominated graduate and post-graduate trainee must commit to enter a full-time term of study of at least 300 hours duration (usually lasting a year).
• Applicants who have achieved or are achieving advanced degrees at accredited universities in one of the core disciplines listed above will be eligible to apply for stipends.
• Completed application packets of candidates nominated by a core discipline will be reviewed and rated by members of the LEND Coordinating Staff, and this team will recommend candidates for stipend support to the LEND Executive Committee, which will make final selections.
• Available stipends will be spread among as many core disciplines as is feasible that will provide a diverse LEND trainee group representative of several disicplines.
• Fulltime pre-doctoral stipends are awarded in the area of $20,000 yearly and post-doctoral candidates stipends are awarded at $35,000 yearly (pending on commitment levels and competition).

1. A letter (1) of intent that presents a clear statement of the applicant’s current career plans. This letter should focus two major aspects and will be reviewed based on:
   1. The applicant's experience and future vision in working with children with discibilities
   2. The applicant's expectations and goals for the LEND training year
2. The appropriate enclosed applicant forms
3. Official collegiate transcripts
4. Two letters (2) of reference from previous faculty supervisors and/or employers accompanied by (2) reference forms
5. A writing sample representative of the applicant’s highest achievements

T32 Training Program
This year we established a post-doctoral training program in the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) Research Center at the Children’s Research Institute (CRI) of Children’s National Medical Center (Children's) in Washington, D.C. The focus of this program is on five areas of inquiry associated with MRDD: autism, learning disabilities (developmental dyslexia), traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and urea cycle disorders.

This program is a multidisciplinary effort that draws on 15 faculty preceptors in the areas of neuroscience, neurobehavioral science and genetics from seven Departments at Children's and Georgetown University School of Medicine. Children's is particularly well positioned to lead this program, based on i) its strengths in basic, translational and clinical research, and in mentorship in all the proposed areas of inquiry ii) its established strong collaborations with Georgetown; its leading role in a number of NIH Center Grants focusing on conditions causing MRDD.

We receive two postdoctoral trainees (MDs and/or PhDs) per year in a 3-year training program. A unique aspect of the training is that each area of inquiry will have genetic, neuroscience and neurobehavioral components, and each fellow can chose a mentor’s laboratory that focuses on one of these areas but also rotates through each component, in order to acquire interdisciplinary training in the specific disorder being studied. The objectives of the program are to encourage MDs to develop as researchers in the field of MRDD and to stimulate greater participation of promising PhD researchers in this area. Each trainee is carefully mentored through the program to ensure that he/she fully exploits the range of opportunities of the program.

Application Process
Interested applicants will submit:

• a personal statement of research interests
• a training research plan
• a letter of support from the proposed preceptor
• a letter of reference from a previous advisor/mentor
• a CV (including only peer reviewed publications, book chapters and abstracts)
• for M.D.s, a letter of support from the clinical division chief agreeing to full-time enrollment in the program

Contact Information:

Vittorio Gallo, PhD
Director of the T32 Training Program
Director, Center for Neuroscience Research
Children’s National Medical Center
111 Michigan Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20010
vgallo@cnmcresearch.org
202-476-4996
202-476-4988 fax

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